Medical personnel aboard vessel KN-278 treat fisherman Nguyễn Hữu Thọ after he fell ill near the Việt Nam-Indonesia maritime boundary on August 4. — Photos courtesy of the Việt Nam Coast Guard

HCM CITY — The HCM City Sub-Department of Fisheries has fined a fishing boat captain VNĐ35 million (US$1,330) and revoked his licence for nine months after his boat lost its vessel monitoring system connection, which are part of the city's intensified efforts to combat illegal fishing and enforce maritime laws.

Lê Văn Thành, 47 of Phước Hải Commune was penalised after his 18.5-metre BV-90992-TS vessel lost its VMS connection for more than 50 hours in mid-January, meaning it could not submit the required location report every six hours.

Strict action against VMS non-compliance is a key part of the city's efforts to tackle illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing and meet European Commission recommendations for lifting its "yellow card" warning.

Việt Nam Coast Guard officers inspect vessels operating off the south-central coast to ensure compliance with maritime regulations and anti-illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing laws.

All active fishing and transshipment vessels operating in the city have installed VMS equipment.

Authorities have penalised 415 vessels for VMS connection failures dating from 2024-25, and are processing dossiers for another 35 cases of non-compliance this year.

Alongside enforcement at sea, local authorities and armed forces are stepping up public legal education.

On August 3, the Coast Guard Region No. 3 Command partnered with local agencies to hold a legal awareness session for more than 700ha and students at Phú Lâm High School.

It covered maritime sovereignty and the Law on the Việt Nam Coast Guard besides drug prevention in schools.

An officer from Coast Guard Region No. 3 Command distributes legal information leaflets to students at Phú Lâm High School in HCM City on August 3 during an educational campaign on maritime laws and drug prevention in schools.

A similar conference was held on July 31 in the city’s An Đông Ward for more than 500 local officials and civil servants, focusing on maritime security and anti-IUU regulations.

Delegates and local officials attend a legal awareness conference on maritime sovereignty, drug prevention, and anti-IUU fishing regulations organised by the Coast Guard Region No 3 Command in HCM City’s An Đông Ward on July 31.

Alongside strict enforcement and legal education, maritime surveillance forces are also supporting fishermen operating far from shore.

On August 4, while patrolling the maritime boundary between Việt Nam and Indonesia, a vessel under the Coast Guard Region No 3 received a distress signal from a fishing vessel.

Fisherman Nguyễn Hữu Thọ, 25 of the Phú Quý Special Administrative Economic Zone in Lâm Đồng Province suffered from severe and acute stomach pain while working aboard a purse seine and line-fishing vessel.

The Coast Guard boat quickly manoeuvred alongside the fishing boat and took him aboard for emergency treatment.

After examination and treatment by the onboard medical team, his condition stabilised, allowing him to continue with his fishing trip. — VNS